Clothes hanger clamp

ABSTRACT

A clothes hanger consisting of a wire frame and an elongate strip of paperboard or plastic. The wire frame consists of a hook, a pair of sloping shoulder portions, a straight lower portion, and a pair of end portions connecting the lower portion to the shoulder portions. The strip has opposed ends each of which has an aperture for receiving the hook of the wire frame for maintaining the ends of the strip in overlapping relation thereon. The strip has elongate apertures receiving the shoulder portions, ends or lower portion of the frame thereby securing the strip to the frame. An elongate slit substantially midway between the ends of the strip receives the lower portion of the frame for maintaining a garment between the strip and the lower portion.

1 Aug. 1,1972

' 22 Filed:

[ CLOTHES HANGER CLAMP [72] Inventor: Sverre Quisling, 1240 Sherman Ave., Madison, Wis. 53703 May 24, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 146,365

[52] US. Cl. ..223/9l, 223/93, 223/96, 223/98 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47j 51/14 [58] Field of Search ..2 23/85, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 223/93, 96, 98

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,740,566 12/1929 Batts ..223/88 2,106,947 2/1938 Hamilton et a1. ..223/88 2,218,150 10/1940 Jentz ..223/98 2,284,979 6/1942 Lazarus ..223/88 X 2,448,282 8/ 1948 Schmitt ..223/98 3,169,681 2/1965 Tillery ..223/98 Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-George H. Krizmanich Attorney-Joseph G. Werner, Theodore J. Long, John M. Winter and James A. Kemmeter [57] ABSTRACT A clothes hanger consisting of a wire frame and an elongate strip of paperboard or plastic. The wire frame consists of a hook, a pair of sloping shoulder portions, a straight lower portion, and a pair of end portions connecting the lower portion to the shoulder portions. The strip has opposed ends each of which has an aperture for receiving the hook of the wire frame for maintaining the ends of the strip in overlapping relation thereon. The strip has elongate apertures receiving the shoulder portions, ends or lower portion of the frame thereby securing the strip to the frame. An elongate slit substantially midway between the ends of the strip receives the lower portion of the frame for maintaining a garment between the strip and the lower portion.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIEDws nan 3.680.747

SHEEI 1 [IF 2 INVENTOR;

SVERRE QUISLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains generally to clothes hangers.

2. Description of the Prior Art Clothes hangers used particularly by clothiers selling suits, and laundries when returning garments such as suits, pants, womens skirts, and the like must hold the garment well and yet, be inexpensive and preferably provide advertising space for the clothier or laundry.

Typically, clothiers utilize wooden wish bone" type hangers. These hangers are expensive and provide little or no room for advertising space. Launderies utilize a less expensive type hanger consisting of a conventional wire frame having a tube or other similar article secured along the bottom edge for hanging suit pants and the like. These hangers provide very poor shoulder support for suit coats and the like, and virtually no advertising space. While laundries generally utilize the considerable advertising space provided by the protective plastic bag placed over the laundered clothing, such bags are usually thrown away after use. On the other hand, the hangers generally remain in the individuals closet, so. that any advertising thereon would remain as a constant reminder to the prospective customer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have invented a clothes hanger made of wire and an elongate strip of substantially flexible material and which is particularly useful for clothiers, laundries and the like. I

- The hanger is inexpensive and yet, provides fullwidth support of a suit coat, gripping action for pants and skirts, as well as ample advertising space for the clothier andlaundry.

The hanger consists of an elongate strip of paperboard or plastic secured to a wire coat hanger frame. The wire frame is conventional and has a hook, a pair of sloping shoulder portions depending outwardly from the hook, a straight lower portion, and a pair of curved end portions connecting the lower portion to the shoulder portions. The elongate strip has a pair of opposed ends, each apertured for receiving the hook portion of the wire frame for maintaining the ends in overlapping fashion on the hook. Elongate apertures in the strip receive either the shoulder portions, end portions, or the lower portion for securing the strip to the wire frame. An elongate slit substantially midway between the ends of the strip receives and overlies the lower portion. of the wire frame for maintaining a pair of pants or a skirt between the strip and the lower portion.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing several preferred embodiments on the invention for exemplification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the elongate strip of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the elongate strip of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein a first embodiment of my clothes hanger is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1. The hanger comprises a wire frame 11 having a hook 12, a pair of sloping shoulder portions 13 depending outwardly from the hook 12, a substantially straight lower portion 14, and a pair of curved end portions 15 connecting the lower portion to the shoulder portions.

An elongate strip 16, of substantially flexible material, such as paperboard or plastic, the configuration of which is shown in its initial flat condition in FIG. 2, has a pair of opposed ends 17, each of which has an aperture 18 for receiving the hook 12 thus maintaining the ends 17 in overlapping relation as shown in FIG. 1. A pair of elongate apertures 19 receive the end portions 15 of the wire frame 11. An elongate slit 20 substantially midway between the ends of the strip 16 receives the lower portion 14 of the wire frame 11 for maintaining a garment such as the pants 21 shown between the strip and the lower portion of the wire frame.

The flexible strip is positioned on the wire frame by inserting the hook 12 through the apertures 18, forming the strip into a loop. One end portion 15 of the wire frame is inserted into its mating elongate aperture 19. The wire frame is then bowed backward slightly, and the opposite end portion of the wire frame is inserted into its mating elongate aperture. The resiliency of the wire frame holds the flexible strip snugly in place. The lower portion 14 of the wire frame is inserted into slit 20 so that the rnidportion of the strip between the ends of the slit 20 overlie the lower wire portion as shown in FIG. 1.

As seen best in FIG. 1 the strip 30 forms a full-width support along the shoulder portions 13 for suit coats and the like. A pair of pants folded at the cuff or just above the knee, or skirt folded just below the waist can be draped over the lower wire portion and held thereon by the flexible strip. I

Referring now to FIG. 3, a second embodiment of my clothes hanger is generally shown at 30. The wire frame 11 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, however, a somewhat different form of paperboard or plastic strip is shown at 31 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Strip 31 has a pair of opposed ends 32, each of which has an aperture 33 for receiving the hook portion of the wire frame thus maintaining the ends 32 in overlapping relation as shown in FIG. 3. A pair of elongate curved apertures are formed in the strip adjacent ends of an elongate slit 35 which is disposed substantially midway between the ends of the strip. Each of the curved apertures 34 forms a tab 36.

The flexible strip 31 is attached to the wire frame 1 l by inserting the hook portion through the apertures 33, forming a loop in the strip. The lower portion of the wire frame is then inserted into the apertures 34 with the tabs 36 engaged over the top of the lower portion of the wire frame as shown in FIG. 3. Lastly, the lower portion of the wire frame is inserted into slit 35 so that the mid-portion of the strip between the ends of the slit 35 overlies the lower wire portion. A pair of pants such as shown at 21 may be held on the lower portion of the hanger by placing the pants between the lower wire portion and the overlying mid-portion of the strip 31.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a third embodiment of my invention is generally shown at 40. The wire frame 11 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A third fonn of paperboard or plastic strip is shown at 41 in FIGS. and 6. Strip 41 has a pair of opposed ends 42 each of which has an aperture 43 for receiving the hook portion of the wire frame thus maintaining the ends 42 in overlapping relation as shown in FIG. 5. Four elongate curved apertures 44 are formed in the strip for receiving the sloping shoulder portions of the wire frame as shown in FIG. 5. Each of the curved apertures 44 fomis a tab 45 engaged under the sloping shoulder portion of the wire frame. The two tabs on each end of the strip extend in opposite directions so as to act in opposed relation for securely fastening the strip to the wire frame as shown in FIG. 5. A pair of elongate slits 46 and 47 are formed in the strip substantially mid-way between the ends thereof for alternately receiving the lower portion of the wire frame for maintaining a garment between the lower portion of the wire frame and the mid-portion of the strip. The shorter slit 46 may be engaged on the lower portion of the wire frame to hold pants or the longer slit 47 may be engaged on the lower portion of the wire frame to hold a wider skirt such as shown at 48 in FIG. 5.

For ease in manufacturing, transporting and using, the paperboard or plastic strips may be formed continuously as a roll of material with a perforated tear line pending outwardly from said hook,

iii. a substantially straight lower portion, and

iv. a pair of curved end portions connecting said lower portion to said shoulder portions, and

B. an elongate strip of substantially flexible material having opposed ends,

i. each of said ends having an aperture receiving said hook and maintaining said ends in overlapping relation thereon,

ii. said strip having at least a pair of elongate apertures therein receiving either one of said shoulder portions, said end portions, or said lower portions, and

iii. said strip having an elongate slit therein sub stantially midway between said opposed ends receiving a major portion of the lower portion of said wire frame and being disposed thereabove for maintaining a garment between said strip am 1 rti f 'd r 2. A imhs rfg ee as e s ri b d iii la ifii i wherein one each of said pair of elongate apertures is formed adjacent each end of said elongate slit and receives the outer end portions of said lower portion of said wire frame, each of said elongate apertures being curved to provide a tab engaged over said lower portion of said wire frame.

3. A clotheshanger as described in claim 1 wherein one each of said pair of elongate apertures receives one each of said pair of shoulder portions of said wire frame, each of said elongate apertures being curved to provide a tab engaged under said shoulder portions of said wire frame.

4. A clothes hanger as described in claim 1 having four of said elongate apertures, two of said elongate apertures receiving one of each of said pair of shoulder portions of said wire frame, each two of said elongate apertures receiving one of said shoulder portions being curved in opposite directions to provide a pair of opposed tabs engaged under each of said shoulder portions.

5. A clothes hanger as described in claim 1 wherein said band has a second elongate slit therein substantially midway between said opposed ends, said second slit being parallel to and substantially shorter than said first slit, said slits selectively receiving a major portion of the lower portion of said wire frame for maintaining a garment between said slit and said lower portion. 

1. A clothes hanger comprising in combination: A. a wire frame having, i. a hook, ii. a pair of opposed sloping shoulder portions depending outwardly from said hook, iii. a substantially straight lower portion, and iv. a pair of curved end portions connecting said lower portion to said shoulder portions, and B. an elongate strip of substantially flexible material having opposed ends, i. each of said ends having an aperture receiving said hook and maintaining said ends in overlapping relation thereon, ii. said strip having at least a pair of elongate apertures therein receiving either one of said shoulder portions, said end portions, or said lower portions, and iii. said strip having an elongate slit therein substantially midway between said opposed ends receiving a major portion of the lower portion of said wire frame and being disposed thereabove for maintaining a garment between said strip and the lower portion of said wire frame.
 2. A clothes hanger as described in claim 1 wherein one each of said pair of elongate apertures is formed adjacent each end of said elongate slit and receives the outer end portions of said lower portion of said wire frame, each of said elongate apertures being curved to provide a tab engaged over said lower portion of said wire frame.
 3. A clothes hanger as described in claim 1 wherein one each of said pair of elongate apertures receives one each of said pair of shoulder portions of said wire frame, each of said elongate apertures being curved to provide a tab engaged under said shoulder portions of said wire frame.
 4. A clothes hanger as described in claim 1 having four of said elongate apertures, two of said elongate apertures receiving one of each of said pair of shoulder portions of said wire frame, each two of said elongate apertures receiving one of said shoulder portions being curved in opposite directions to provide a pair of opposed tabs engaged under each of said shoulder portions.
 5. A clothes hanger as described in claim 1 wherein said band has a sEcond elongate slit therein substantially midway between said opposed ends, said second slit being parallel to and substantially shorter than said first slit, said slits selectively receiving a major portion of the lower portion of said wire frame for maintaining a garment between said slit and said lower portion. 